Although the effects of violent video games on aggression in users have been researched extensively and the resulting body of research shows that violent video games can increase aggressive behaviors, aggression-related feelings and thoughts, and physiological arousal, no empirical studies to date have examined whether there are similar and parallel effects of verbal aggression (e.g., profanity) in video game content. A 2 X 2 between-subjects factorial experiment (N = 321) tested the effects of profanity used by protagonists (protagonist profanity present versus absent) and antagonists (antagonist profanity present versus absent) on users' hostile expectations, accessibility of aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings, perceived arousal, use of profanity, enjoyment, presence, and perceived performance while taking into account the potential moderating role of gender and controlling for several individual difference variables. The study's factors were manipulated via the creation of four versions of an original three-dimensional "first-person shooter" video game. Profanity used by both protagonist and antagonist characters was found to have significant effects on players' hostile expectations, an important higher-order aggressive outcome that is the most direct precursor to aggressive behaviors in the process described by the general aggression model. There was limited evidence for effects of profanity in game content on players' accessibility of aggressive thoughts, aggressive feelings, and perceived arousal. Additionally, profanity had little impact on how much players used profanity themselves, how much they enjoyed the game, feelings of presence, and how they rated their performance in the game. These trends were consistent across a range of demographic, personality, and video game experience dimensions that were measured, even though several of these individual difference variables were found to be related to some outcome variables and to each other. Therefore, while this study's findings did not necessarily indicate imitative modeling of profanity, they point to the possibility of more general effects regarding aggressive outcomes. This study's findings emphasize the need for future research investigating the effects of profanity in video games and other media. / Ph. D.

Numerous researchers have argued early adolescent behavior patterns are among the best predictors of later achievement and social-psychological adjustment outcomes. In the current study, a secondary data analysis was conducted to determine the extent to which four prosocial behaviors (cooperation, assertiveness, self-control and prosocial behaviors toward peers) and two forms of aggression (overt and relational) influence academic performance (as indexed by GPA and standardized achievement scores). Additionally, the potential moderating role of two school environment variables (perception of school climate and teacher bonding) were also considered in order to further examine the social-emotional environment of middle schools. Examining concurrent relations between grade 5 social behaviors and academic performance revealed all four forms of prosocial behavior were positively related to higher academic performance. Predictive relations between grade 6 social behaviors and academic outcomes at grade 9 indicated that of the four prosocial behaviors and two forms of aggression, cooperation alone predicted the likelihood of later academic achievement. Finally, it was hypothesized that prosocial behaviors, perception of school climate and teacher bonding would serve as moderators between aggression and academic performance; however, this prediction was unsupported. By drawing attention to the limited typology employed in studying prosocial behavior, as well as the methodological challenges that arise when examining these behaviors during adolescence, the hope is to spur research geared towards a more comprehensive understanding of prosocial development. / Master of Science

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to understand the experience of six therapists who had been threatened with harm or attacked by a client or a relative of a client in an outpatient setting. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data which were then analyzed using thematic coding. While some of the results of this study are consistent with existing literature on attacks on clinicians in acute inpatient settings, many of the study findings suggest that the experiences of therapists working in an outpatient setting who are threatened by a client or a relative of client are unique to that setting. Clinical implications are discussed. / Master of Science

The most common school-based interventions to prevent victimization from bullying use disciplinary methods and increase playground supervision. While enforcement approaches can prevent bullying, the effects are often short term and may lead to undesirable side effects. Thus, it seems a positive approach to increase prosocial behavior and prevent victimization is needed. This study evaluated the Actively Caring for People (AC4P) approach in four Southwest Virginia middle schools. Sixth and seventh grade students from two schools (n=209) participated in a five-week prosocial-focused curriculum, while 194 students served in the control group. All participants completed pre and post-test measures on their prosocial behavior performed and received, aggressive victimization and aggression performed, as well as bullying victimization and bullying performed to others. Linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to assess the impact of the Intervention. Follow-up moderator analyses were performed to assess the impact of Intervention Fidelity, Classroom Climate, Coaches' Entity Prosocial Mindset, and Role Model Perceptions. No intervention effects were observed and no moderators of the intervention were significant. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. / Master of Science

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of workers who are involuntarily socially isolated in their work-places through the actions of one or more colleagues. This hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry is called by the question, "What is the lived experience of other-imposed social isolation in the work-place?" This study also explores the ways these targeted workers are lost and forgotten, by themselves and others, for the periods of time they remain in their socially isolating work-places. The tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology grounds this inquiry, guided primarily by the works of Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Martin Buber, and to lesser and varying degrees by David Abram, Hans-George Gadamer, Edmond Husserl, David Michael Levin, Emmanual Levinas, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Max van Manen's six methodological guidelines serve as the framework for the research activities that comprise this study. From conversations with, and written reflections from, eight work-place professionals, this study reveals what it is like to experience other-imposed, work-place social isolation. Through hermeneutic phenomenological exploration, the stories of these eight workers reveal lived experience along three primary themes. First, other-imposed social isolation is abusive power and control that is comprised of shameful, indecent acts. Second, the targets of involuntary social isolation experience relentless, wounding trauma. Third, while remaining in their socially isolating work-places, and sometimes for years after leaving, targeted workers bear the burdened weight of crushing grief. The study suggests a need to expose antiquated, yet accepted, work-place mores, that serve as unconscious barriers to work-place respect and dignity. Further, the study reveals that conscious, and conscientious, awareness and attention to abusive work-place social isolation are the responsibility of each and every work-place citizen. Finally, the study recommends meaningful citizen choices -- such as refusing silence; standing alone, if necessary; and inviting work-place community attention -- to engage with others where workers' truths and dignity are at stake. / Ph. D.

Previous research shows that consuming violent media can lead to increased aggression in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Several other factors also contribute to such behaviors but have not been thoroughly studied including implicit beliefs about aggression in relation to media content. This two-part study consists of (1) an exploratory iterated principal-factor method to create an implicit belief measure about consuming violent media in conjunction with correlational analyses and (2) between subjects hierarchical linear regression models to determine what effects implicit beliefs have on subsequent aggression after participants view either a violent of nonviolent video, while controlling for violent media consumption and trait aggression, and accounting for desensitization. The first study successfully indicates which characteristics could be sued to define the implicit belief measure. The second study indicates that implicit beliefs about consuming violent media can affect aggressive outcomes moderated through desensitization and biological sex. The present study supports the assertion that implicit beliefs can affect aggressive outcomes but contradicts originally hypotheses.

Aggression linked to peer-based social rejection is a damaging and highly prevalent problem, especially during adolescence when peer relationships are particularly important. Because adolescence is a sensitive period for neural plasticity, identifying neural mechanisms that bias youth towards perpetrating aggression before habitual antisocial tendencies are instantiated may help develop novel interventions. Aggressive behavior is likely influenced by a complex cascade of neural responses that unfold across a social interaction, therefore methods that examine how neural network associations predict rejection-elicited aggression are needed. Progress towards this goal has been hindered by the limited availability of ecologically-valid fMRI-based social interaction tasks that delineate temporal stages within a social interaction, such as anticipation and receipt of peer feedback, and contemplating aggression. This study addresses these limitations by using a novel fMRI-based paradigm, the Virtual School and Aggression (VSA) task, to evoke rejection-elicited aggressive behavior in adolescents (N=34; 10-15 years). We demonstrate that engagement in the threat network while receiving rejecting feedback is predictive of subsequent aggressive behavior in adolescents. Lastly, we illustrate that engagement in the threat network while receiving nice feedback leads to inhibition in the cognitive control network while responding. These findings provide important targets to inform novel interventions for rejection-elicited aggression. / Psychology

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating role of anger proneness in explaining the relationship between masculine gender role stress (MGRS) and aggression. Additionally, the moderating effect of anger proneness was also examined. Both physical and verbal forms of aggression were examined in the current model. Participants were 163 male undergraduate students. The criteria proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) and Holmbeck (1997, 2002) were followed to test for mediational and moderational effects. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that anger proneness does mediate the relationship between MGRS and aggression, particularly physical aggression. Tests for moderated effects were not supported. The clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. / Master of Science

The purpose of this multiple case study was to gather information about female aggression in situationally violent relationship. The interviews and surveys of four African-American couples were coded and analyzed to gather information about the impact of female aggression on the relationship, the contextual factors surrounding female aggression, and the motivations for female aggression. The results indicated that female aggression impacts the couple relationship in several ways. First, female aggression is typically minimized by both partners. Another impact on the relationship is that it leads to further escalation of aggression, as well as leading the couple to question their commitment to each other. Female aggression also appeared to become part of the couples struggle for power. The study also identified substance abuse and a family history of abuse as two of the contextual factors present with female aggression. The motives for female aggression that were identified included frustration, wanting control over the relationship, abandonment and retribution. One couple identified self-defense as a motivation for female aggression. Implications for future research and for clinical practice are offered. / Master of Science

The focus of the current study was to determine if SIP biases and perspective-taking serve as mediators between parental intimate partner violence (IPV), aggression, and interpersonal dominance in emerging adults' romantic relationships. We analyzed archival data comprised of self-report measures and TAT stories administered to 84 undergraduate students (women n = 62, M age = 21.73) between the ages 18 and 35. To test our hypotheses, we modified the social information processing model by incorporating perspective-taking, as measured through Interpersonal Decentering. Overall, we did not find significant association between witnessing parental IPV and Interpersonal Decentering maturity in college students. However, women's father-to-mother IPV was significantly negatively associated with Interpersonal Decentering maturity. For our mediation model, SIP aggressive responding biases were significantly associated with Interpersonal Decentering (average of story average scores) and with the presence of aggression in current romantic relationships; however, Interpersonal Decentering was not significantly predictive of aggression in current romantic relationships. Gender differences, study strengths and limitations, and future research directions are discussed.